Resolution of Contradictions

Major advances in understanding
of the physical world have been achieved during the past century by focusing
on apparent contradictions between well-established theoretical structures.
In each case the reconciliation required a better theory, often involving
radical new concepts and striking experimental predictions. Four major advances of
this type are indicated in Figure 1. [1] These
advances were the discoveries of special relativity, quantum mechanics,
general relativity, and quantum field theory. Let us briefly recall the
contradictions that each of these resolved and some of the experimental
confirmations that followed.